It's awesome. Go watch it!
The basic idea is that the Suicide Squad is made up of a handful of supervillains that do black ops missions for the government in exchange for time taken off their prison sentences. As these things normally go, their mission NEVER goes as planned and they have to get creative to accomplish the mission or at the very least get out alive. If done well, Warner Bros has the opportunity to make a truly unique superhero movie. Mainly because there are no superheroes in the main cast. Yes, there are rumors of Batman making an appearance, but I'm betting that he'll have a small cameo at best (more on that later).
The film will feature Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, and Jared Leto as the Joker. It's an impressive cast sure to deliver impressive performances. Every time one of these movies is announced the rumor mill starts going and everyone has an opinion. I for one am super excited mainly because this cast sounds absolutely perfect and a Suicide Squad movie has the potential to be unique and exciting. But what do I want to see in this film? I'm glad you asked! Here is my list for 5 THINGS I WANT TO SEE IN THE SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE:
DON'T LET BATMAN SELL THE MOVIE:
As I said, there's a rumor that Ben Affleck will make an appearance in the film as Batman. Now, I'm all for this idea because I love Batman and the Assault on Arkham movie had Batman as a supporting character to the Suicide Squad. This was a great move actually because the animated movies tend not to sell very well unless Batman, Superman, or the Justice League are the main attractions. It's a bit of a marketing cheat, but for a fan like me, I just want a quality film. Batman's appearance wouldn't guarantee a quality film. All Batman would really contribute to the film is connection to the future DC films. Plus, when all is said and done, if Batman is in the movie, I want it to be a surprise. I want everyone saying he isn't in it and then BAM! there he is! That would be sweet.
THE JOKER IS THE CONSULTANT
Like I said, the rumor mill is always running wild with these kinds of films. The prevailing theory is that the Joker's involvement in this film will be a "Hannibal Lecter" type of role. In the movie The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is a criminal but he provides helpful information to the FBI before escaping custody in a super awesome, creepy way. Have you ever seen that movie? You should because it's awesome. I watched it on Netflix recently and I loved it. Of course I've seen it before then, but it's still great.
If this creeps you out, just remember he also is Thor's father
I love the idea that the Joker would provide a similar role in the Suicide Squad movie. He would consult on the case and then escape in an epic way. Also, Anthony Hopkins's role in Lambs is something like 12 minutes of screen time. Because of his amazing performance, he's the most remembered part of the movie. I think that's exactly what the Joker's role should be. He should only be in the film for a few scenes but makes such a lasting impression that he's the most talked about character. Again, rumor has it, that this film will set up a future solo Batman film with the Joker as the main villain. So let's give the audience a small but satisfying taste of the Joker. Leave them begging for more. It's exactly what the Joker would want . . .
TEENY REFERENCES TO THE ACTUAL HEROES:
Captain Boomerang is one of the Flash's Rogues. The Joker is Batman's arch-nemesis. Enchantress has had a few run ins with the Justice League and Justice League Dark. There is bound to be references to the superheroes running around the world. However, I think it's best to keep the references to a bare minimum. One of the things that can kill these types of movies is constantly referencing each other or the world around them. We know Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman exist. There is no reason to mention them in every single scene. That was my main complaint with the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Every episode included a reference to the Avengers and it grew annoying. The Joker WILL mention Batman, because you know, he can't go more than 30 seconds without talking about Batman.
They're old pals after all . . .
Like I said, it's more interesting if Batman and the other heroes are mentioned briefly. This gives the audience time to get to know the Squad and relate to them, root for them, instead of being reminded that there are more interesting characters out there. The Squad is full of great characters. Let the audience discover them.
GIVE HARLEY QUINN HER DUE
Harley Quinn is a fascinating character. She's gone from devoted sidekick/girlfried to the Joker to a strong, independent woman. She is the star of two ongoing comic books, Suicide Squad and Harley Quinn. She was created on Batman: the Animated Series but then made the transition to the comic books. Suicide Squad will be the first live action portrayal of Harley. She did make a brief cameo on Arrow but that doesn't really count since we didn't see her face. Margot Robbie is faced with the challenging task of being the mainstream's audience first exposure to Harley Quinn. She's a talented actress, so I have no doubt she'll do well. However, Harley can EASILY be played as the idiot comic relief. My main complaint about Batman: Assault on Arkham was that Harley was very annoying and the actress that played Harley was trying too hard to sound like Arleen Sorkin, who played Quinn on Batman: the Animated Series. Robbie and director David Ayers will need to give Harley a distinct voice both literally and figuratively. Let's see her be funny (that's important) but with a lot of depth. She's a great character that has grown out of the Joker's shadow. Let's keep her that way.
KEEP IT UNIQUE
The best part of the Suicide Squad movie is that it's the first comic book movie from a major studio that is all about the bad guys. Granted, they're bad guys doing "good" things but the main characters are still villains. We don't need to have origin stories, regretting their powers, or even a climatic battle for the fate of the planet. All we need are these characters being bad asses in an "against the odds" situation. This is Warner Bros's chance to make a truly unique comic book movie that will set the bar higher than ever. Marvel makes quality films no doubt, but WB is going for a different approach. I've said before how DC has the best villains, and this is their chance to prove it. I love Deadshot and I'm super excited to see Will Smith take on the role. Plus Jared Leto is on the VERY short list of actors worthy of following Heath Ledger's shoes as the Joker. I'm excited to see what this film has to offer. My main request above all else is to keep this film interesting, exciting, and most of all unique!
Till Next Time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie!
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